from way up there, you and i
by russelia
Summary: ONE DIRECTION. The boys get a two-week break and Louis misses Harry. Harry/Louis.


The moment the boys find out they're getting two weeks off before jetting back to London to record their next album, Louis's eyes immediately search for Harry's, ideas like fireworks bursting to life in his head about all the things he wants them to do together.

In the back of his mind, he can see Harry's sleeping form in the passenger's seat, head slumped against the window as they make their way to Doncaster, car filled to the brim with junk food and soda pops and Louis's extensive CD collection littering the floor in the back. He sees them skinny dipping after midnight down by the lake near his house because he's always wanted to try it and he's never had the chance to do it before, too lazy to do it with Stan, too inappropriate to ask Hannah to strip down and plunge into ice-cold water, though she's never liked the cold anyway. There's also eating fruits on the patio while watching his sisters play with dolls and he thinks it might be random at first, might be too low-key for the limited time they have to spend with each other, but Harry likes fruits and so does he and it sure as hell beats eating them on his bed listening to music or watching pregnant teenagers going about their lives and choking on grapes with loud guffaws and _I can't believe she swung at her boyfriend 'cause he didn't bring her food did you see that_.

More ideas pour in his head with each passing second and he's about to walk up to Harry and invite him to go on a road trip when Harry announces that he can't wait to go back to Holmes Chapel and spend some time with his family, and Louis's brain cracks and deflates, ideas forcing themselves out from the crevice and gushing out into a pool on the floor and Louis swears he almost slipped. He probably did a little or said something because Harry's looking at him, green eyes blinking _did you want to say something_ and Louis's throat is dry and all he can do is shove his hands in his pockets and shake his head because _of course he's going back home I'm so stupid_.

::

When he steps out of the car, he's greeted by hugs and kisses from his sisters and he drops his bags on the ground and swings Daisy and Phoebe in each arm, laughter tickling his ears while Felicite asks him a million questions and Lottie just smiles at him, her eyes meeting his and _we've missed you so much I'm glad you're back home_.

He lands the twins back on the ground and gives them each a kiss on the forehead and Felicite tugs at the hem of his shirt. He dips his head low and she whispers in his ears _where's Harry I miss him_ and his breath catches in his throat at the name and he plays it off with a smile, tapping her nose with a finger and with a kiss on her cheek, he whispers _he's back at his own house and I miss him too_.

::

Stan can be really stupid at times and he guesses it's why they got on so well because he can be equally stupid at times, too.

The first thing to come out of Stan's mouth when he sees Louis lugging his suitcases into the house is _Hannah's got a new boyfriend the slut _and Louis drops his bag and dissolves into a fit of laughter until there's tears in his eyes and a stitch in his side and it takes him a while to compose himself and finish dragging his bags inside, and through deep breaths and final shards of giggles, he says _it's nice to see you too Stan_.

::

Louis yawns and stretches himself out on the sofa and Stan's sitting in a chair opposite him nursing a bottle of fizz-less orange soda, lips wrapped around the straw and pushing out _so what do you want to do_ around the plastic. Louis shrugs and sits himself up properly, trying to salvage what's left of the ideas Harry burned down with a single look and he comes up empty-handed, shaking his head at Stan and grabbing his own bottle of soda from the table next to him with an _I don't know what do you want to do_.

Somehow, they decide on taking their skateboards for a ride down the road and it takes Louis a while to get back into the right groove, leaning his body this way and that and remembering to push himself along the concrete once in a while. There are no cars in sight and they try to show each other up with tricks in the middle of the road, but really, the tricks are only a few simple flips of the boards and spins on the back wheels and Louis gets tired of it after a while, bored with doing baby tricks but too lazy to try and do more complicated things and he stops in mid-spin and jumps off his board, picks it up and tucks it under his arm because _this is boring let's do something else_.

Stan kicks his skateboard into the air, catches it in his hand, and shoots him a look and says _well you've shot off all my suggestions what do you want to do_.

Louis sighs and shrugs and makes his way back home because all he can think of is _HarryHarryHarry_, but all that comes out is an _I don't know_ and soon enough, Stan's following him and they're back on the sofa drinking the rest of their orange sodas watching reruns of comedy shows and Louis wishes there's something other than orange soda and water and a half-empty carton of milk in the fridge.

::

Louis watches his mobile on his bed and waits for something, anything to happen. A call, a text. _Anything_. Every few minutes, he would check to make sure it isn't on silent and he'd flip through his messages to see if he missed anything but he never does. He almost falls asleep twice, and once, his heart jump-starts when he feels the bed vibrating, but when he sees it's just Daisy shaking his bedframe, it crawls back into its hole and buries itself with more disappointment, and he sighs and lifts her up in the air and sings her a song until she dozes off in his arms like Harry does when he can't sleep, and he reckons the same thing happens back at their flat when he cradles Daisy back in her room and sets her next to Phoebe, how he always manages to find himself back in his room when the last thing he remembers every night is Harry's eyes whispering faint echoes of lullabies before drifting off to sleep.

He picks up his mobile before throwing himself on his bed and checks it one last time, and he huffs and sets it on the nightstand before throwing the covers over his body and burying his face in his pillow, and when he falls asleep, he misses the vibration of his mobile on the wood, _hey lou how are you_ flashing on the screen a few times before turning black again.

::

Louis finally manages to talk to Harry and the first thing that comes to his mind is _I miss you Curly did you miss me_ and the deep chuckle coming from the receiver end of his mobile makes him feel like a teenaged girl twirling the telephone cord around her finger, popping bubblegum and fixing the neon-colored curlers in her hair while she talks to the captain of the football team and he giggles and presses the phone closer against his ear when Harry tells him that _yeah I missed you loads it's not the same without you_ and he wants to swim in his voice, wants the words to seep into his bones and take root there, hold him close at night so he doesn't feel alone anymore.

They talk for an hour but it feels like it drug on forever, Louis twisting and turning on his bed like a restless puppy, sometimes rolling straight onto the floor and making Harry laugh when he hears the _thud_ on the other end but mostly, it's Harry singing to him because he tells him _it's hard to sleep without your songs_ and he sings anything from _Itsy Bitsy Spider_ to love songs back in the 80s and Louis holds his mobile with two hands, gripping it tight and closing his eyes and losing himself in the words until he can almost feel Harry's large hands tangling themselves in his hair, feel his breath brushing against his cheek sending shivers down his spine, lighting a thousand candles under his skin until he can feel every inch of his body burning. He smiles when Harry sings the words _I love you_ a million times because it's the only time he ever hears them coming from his lips and he hopes he'll be able to hear it one day without a forest of lyrics dancing around them and it's just him and Harry and Harry's green eyes and nothing else would matter.

The conversation is cut short when Lottie knocks on the door and peeks around the frame and Louis whispers _I've got to go I'll talk to you later_ with a heavy heart and clicks his mobile off and turns to his sister with a smile.

Her lips are pink, her cheeks are rosy, and she looks like she's starting to grow into her body, the awkwardness of puberty leaving without a trace, blossoming into a beautiful young woman with bright eyes of sapphire and Louis can't help himself when he says _how can you grow up so fast I bet the boys never leave you alone_ and she laughs behind her hand and steps inside, sits next to her brother and trains her eyes on the wall and says _was that Harry on the phone just now_. Louis tenses up and grips the mobile tight in his hand and he nods, his throat drying and his chest starting to race. Lottie runs her fingers through her hair and turns to him with a smile, eyes soft and warm and inviting and she tells him _it's alright I know what's going on you don't have to pretend with me_ and Louis's eyes snap open, flooding with surprise and disbelief and Lottie turns back to the wall and squeezes his hand on the mattress, rubbing her thumb along his knuckles. She lays her head on his shoulder and Louis doesn't know what to do, mind still in shock of how quickly everything's happening, and she says _don't worry I'm not going to say anything I just want you to be happy_ and they stay like this for a while, listening to each other's breathing, running his hands through her hair and trying to calm his heartbeat until the twins pop up from the hallway and drag them both into the living room with long strides, shoving dolls in their hands and demanding to play with them, and Louis meets Lottie's eyes and blinks _thank you_, and Lottie's lips curl into a smile with a whisper of _I love you_.

::

They're at the farmer's market and Stan's putting everything his eyes can see in their basket and Louis ends up having to put half of them back because he'd be paying for everything and he didn't bring that much money. They talk about life in the band and if the other boys get on his nerves sometime, and he indulges him with false examples of Zayn almost setting the flat on fire after forgetting to put out his cigarette or how Liam almost got Danielle pregnant because the reality of it will bore him to death and he's getting a good laugh with painting hyperboles because those sorts of things can actually happen.

Stan picks up a bag of apples and says _what about you mate have you got a new girl_ and Louis stops in his tracks and Stan raises his brow, and all he can manage is _I've been too busy to put myself back on the market really_. Stan drops the bag in the basket and narrows his eyes, curiosity coating every eyelash and Louis tries to beat his heart back down and narrows his own eyes, _what are you looking at_ pushing tightly against his lips. Stan relaxes his eyelids after a moment and gives a shrug, making his way down the aisle, and Louis swears he saw the ghost of a smirk playing on his lips as he was turning around.

::

A week passes and Louis can't pick himself up from the sofa, head facedown between the cushions, feet propped up on the armrest, arms dangling lifelessly from the edge, fingertips brushing the carpet underneath.

He doesn't remember what he used to do in Doncaster before joining the band, usually just hanging around with Stan or Hannah after school and doing anything and everything that popped into their minds, but other that, there's nothing. Not like in London where Harry's always eager to try out this new restaurant or party in that bar and Louis always says _yes_ because Harry's really good at this stuff, always takes him to places he'd enjoy especially when it's just them two, when the other boys are out doing who-knows-what and it's just him and Harry and sometimes they didn't need to go out to have some fun.

But now, there's no Harry to tell him _I heard this place had really great food do you want to come along_ and he huffs loudly into the sofa as boredom and lethargy weigh over him until they crush his back and push him further into the cushions.

It's not until he feels something pulling his leg that he finally lifts his head up and sees Felicite working fervently to get him off the couch and Louis sighs and pushes himself to his knees and drapes his legs over the edge until he's sitting up, spine bending with the contours of the backrest telling him to lie back down and sleep.

Felicite hops like a bunny across the carpet and jumps on Louis's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and whispering _there's someone here to see you_ and Louis raises his brow and collects her in his arms as he stands up, whispering back _who is it_ and making her giggle.

When Felicite tells him to look outside, he adjusts his hold on her and makes his way to the door, Felicite tittering at how _I can feel your heart and it's going really fast_ and he laughs and gives her a kiss on the forehead because it's true, his heart's racing and his face is heating up and he's not entirely sure why.

He sets her down next to him and takes a breath before turning the knob, and before he can take a second look on the person standing on the welcome mat with bright green eyes and a grin from ear to ear, he's pulled into a tight hug and he smells the familiar aroma of cologne on his shirt and conditioner wafting from each curl and it takes his mind a second and a half to realize it's Harry.

_I've missed you Lou_.

Louis laughs and buries his face in Harry's neck and inhales his scent, lets it wrap around his body like a blanket along with the warmth of Harry's arms and it feels good, really good because _I've missed you too Hazza_.

::

They spend the entire night talking about what they did the past week and Louis listens to Harry with his ear pressed against his chest while Harry plays with his hair, voice deep and slow, the vibrations sending shivers down his spine.

Louis says softly w_hy did you come_ and begins to draw patterns on his stomach and Harry stops playing with his hair and pulls him closer until Louis can feel his heartbeat and a laugh bubbles out of his chest _because it's not the same without you_ and Louis smiles and lifts his head and finds Harry's eyes and Harry looks back, green eyes dancing with blue, and in a moment, Louis leans in, brushing his lips against Harry's and trapping the breath trying to escape and Louis feels his hands coming up behind him, leaving burn marks on his skin and he pushes himself into Harry because he's never felt this good, this _warm_ and he wants to fall into Harry and curl up in his chest and lie there forever because _I love you Harry I really do_.

And Harry leans in for another kiss and cups Louis's cheeks and Louis feels his body set on fire and he feels like he's breathing for the very first time in his life when Harry tells him that _I love you too_.

::

Harry carries Felicite on his back as he charges down the gravel road leading to the pond making animal noises and Louis follows with Phoebe in his arm and Daisy's hand gripping his, Lottie right beside them keeping her arms folded across her chest in case her towel unfurls. The walk isn't far and before long, Harry's pulling his shirt over his head and Louis is securing water wings on Daisy's arms because she can't swim yet and Lottie's leading Felicite and Phoebe down to splash in the shallow end of the water. Louis sets Daisy off to follow her sisters and walks over to Harry placing his folded shirt on his shoes, and he smiles because _Harry you're beautiful did you know that_ and Harry grins and gives him a kiss and doesn't say anything, only grabbing Louis by the hand and running over to the deeper part of the pond. He picks Louis up in one great swing and jumps into the water, and when Louis resurfaces to catch his breath and give Harry a shove for scaring him half to death, he hears the sound of his sisters' laughter and he beams because he hasn't heard them laugh this much in a long time and he's missed it, missed the way they sound in his ears, missed the way they feel like home.

Harry pops up next to him and Louis sprays water on his face and both boys make their way to Lottie keeping Daisy afloat while she kicks her feet behind her and they swim and laugh and run and jump until it's getting dark and Phoebe announces she's hungry. Louis gets his sisters ready and soon, they're walking back to the gravel road, Daisy in his arm, Phoebe in Harry's, and Louis's hand gravitates toward Harry's with every step and they twine their fingers together and give each other soft glances and quick smiles and Louis wishes this day didn't have to end.

::

When it's time for them to leave, Felicite throws her arms around Harry's and starts crying and Harry scoops her up in his arms and cradles her with shushing sounds and promises of _I'll be back soon okay don't cry Harry's coming back soon_ and he spins her around until she's laughing. Louis says goodbye to the twins, still in their pajamas and sleep still clinging to their eyes, and gives them both a kiss before rubbing them on their heads and herding them over to Lottie. Harry hands Felicite to him and she cries again and he whispers _always listen to your sister okay I love you_ and she gives him a kiss before he sets her back down and Lottie tells her to get her sisters back to bed.

Louis looks at Lottie with a smile and pulls her into a hug, and it doesn't take too long before she's sniffling and dampening his shirt and between breaths she tells her brother _thank you for coming we've missed you so so much_ and Louis pats her back and presses his lips on her forehead and tells her _I'll come visit once we've finished and I'll call more often okay_ and Lottie tries to swallow her sobs with a nod and Louis gives her one last hug before they set off into the car and Louis waves at her out the window until she disappears from his line of sight around the bend.

::

There are no chip bags in the car and the only music playing is a song that might have been popular a few decades ago, marred with thick static, the woman's voice almost indiscernible, and Louis turns the radio down and keeps his eyes on the road, hand firm on the wheel, shooting sideway glances at Harry sleeping in the passenger's seat, knees propped up on the dashboard, forehead pressed against the window, chest rising and falling softly, and Louis can feel a smile stretching his lips.

It may not have been the vacation he had in mind, but after seeing Harry's sleeping form next to him and thinking about the week they spent together, he wouldn't trade it for anything.

Louis takes a breath and reaches his hand over to close around Harry's, and he laughs when he feels Harry squeeze back.


End file.
